Former South Laurel Cardinal Eric Fields takes over as varsity head coach at Berea

May 5—BEREA — A familiar face has been named head coach of the Berea Pirates varsity basketball program on Tuesday.

Former South Laurel Cardinal Eric Fields, who played a key role in South Laurel's run to the 2005 state championship, was announced as head coach of the program Tuesday evening and will be taking over a team that posted an 8-8 record this past season.

Fields spent time as an assistant coach at Garrard County and Berea as a girls' assistant coach and boys' assistant coach. He was also a girls' assistant coach at Williamsburg and spent this past season as an assistant coach at Montgomery County under his former coach at South Laurel, Steve Wright.

Fields said he learned something from each head coach he worked under during his time as an assistant.

"Coach Wright gave me my own team to coach and with (freshmen and eighth graders)," Fields said. "He has always supported me in anything that I've wanted to do like he always has. He's a great mentor.

"My time with the mens' basketball program at Berea was great," he added. "Coach (Eric) Swords got the program turned around and headed in the right direction. I plan to grow on that and improve players. The 11th Region is tough to compete in but the goal is to be competitive year in and year out."

Fields said he's excited to be taking over the job but nervous as well.

"Coach Wright asked me if I felt like I was going to throw up. That's the best way to describe it. Overall, I am excited to be back at Berea."

Even during his high school playing days, Fields admitted his goal was to be a head coach.

"I wanted to make sure I had experience coaching and to learn from other people. I have had the opportunity to work for some great head coaches," he said. " Coach Damian Stepp toughly me a lot of the ins and outs of basketball. It was different from what I was used to but the experience allowed me to learn from him and grow as a coach."

Before teaming up with Wright this past season, Fields said he enjoyed his time coaching with Williamsburg's Randy Crider and Swords.

"We went to the All 'A' Classic State Final Four at Williamsburg and Randy taught me how to show compassion to students and encouraged me to be a better coach," he said. "Eric taught me how to reach kids at a smaller district. He taught me how to reach different types of kids, and taught in lessons in practice and game situations, and how to inspire kids. I'm just really excited to have a program that I am in charge of, and work closely with young men them into better basketball players but even better citizens."